Do you dream of retiring abroad, or working overseas?
Perhaps you’ve thought of trying the digital nomad life, working in one country for a while then moving on to another, to explore new horizons and meet new people.
There are about 8.7 million Americans living abroad, according to the U.S. State Department and the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, based on 2015 estimates. The majority (3.7 million) live in the Western hemisphere, mostly in Mexico and Canada, while another 2 million live in Europe and Eurasia.
There’s much to consider before you pack up and move, whether permanently or temporarily, to another country. Cost of living, Covid restrictions, safety, internet, healthcare and insurance, as well as some sort of expat presence, are just a few considerations.
To find the best countries for remote workers, the number crunchers at William Russel, which provides insurance for people living and working abroad, dug into the data of 61 the world’s most developed countries, examining factors such as: happiness and wellbeing, expat health, employment opportunities, cost of living, air and water quality, gender equality, life expectancy, crime, and quality of life.
They ranked the country and scored each on a scale of 1-10 for happiness, health, employment and quality of life, with a total possible score of 40.
These are the best countries to live and work abroad.
1. Finland
Happiness: 7.23 (out of 10)Health: 6.84 Employment: 8.39 Quality of life: 8.81Total: 31.27 (out of 40)
2. Austria
Happiness: 7.08Health: 7.55Employment: 8.11Quality of life: 8.21Total: 30.95
3. Lithuania
Happiness: 5.90Health: 7.37Employment: 9.14Quality of life: 8.37Total: 30.78
4. Slovenia
Happiness: 6.21Health: 6.71Employment: 8.77Quality of life: 8.80Total: 30.49
5. Netherlands
Happiness: 6.93Health: 6.82Employment: 8.28Quality of life: 8.02Total: 30.05
6. Denmark
Happiness: 7.07Health: 6.69Employment: 7.85Quality of life: 8.09Total: 29.69
7. Latvia
Happiness: 6.06Health: 6.65Employment: 8.87Quality of life: 8.11Total: 29.68
8. Estonia
Happiness: 6.31Health: 6.89Employment: 7.85Quality of life: 8.61Total: 29.66
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9. Czech Republic
Happiness: 6.29Health: 7.10Employment: 8.36Quality of life: 7.90Total: 29.66
10. Sweden
Happiness: 7.20Health: 6.20Employment: 7.98Quality of life: 8.07Total: 29.46
11. Germany
Happiness: 6.97Health: 7.32Employment: 7.47Quality of life: 7.70Total: 29.45
12. Norway
Happiness: 7.06Health: 6.14Employment: 7.99Quality of life: 8.24Total: 29.42
13. Portugal
Happiness: 5.52Health: 7.07Employment: 8.82Quality of life: 7.89Total: 29.29
14. Croatia
Happiness: 6.27Health: 6.74Employment: 8.24Quality of life: 7.99Total: 29.24
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15. Slovakia
Happiness: 5.95Health: 6.80Employment:8.85Quality of life: 7.56Total: 29.16
16. New Zealand
Happiness: 7.24Health: 6.66Employment: 7.18Quality of life: 8.05Total: 29.13
17. Spain
Happiness: 6.28Health: 6.67Employment: 8.25Quality of life: 7.48Total: 28.69
18. France
Happiness: 6.43Health: 7.16Employment: 8.45Quality of life: 6.50Total: 28.54
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19. Poland
Happiness: 5.57Health: 6.60Employment: 9.32Quality of life: 6.92Total: 28.41
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20. Hungary
Happiness: 5.62Health: 6.84Employment: 8.67Quality of life: 7.24Total: 28.37
21. Belgium
Happiness: 6.57Health: 6.91Employment: 8.19Quality of life: 6.66Total: 28.33
22. Ireland
Happiness: 6.85Health: 6.71Employment: 7.36Quality of life: 7.24Total: 28.15
23. Italy
Happiness: 6.12Health: 6.70Employment: 8.53Quality of life: 6.36Total: 27.72
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24. Montenegro
Happiness: 5.60Health: 6.54Employment: 8.61Quality of life: 6.81Total: 27.56
25. Australia
Happiness: 7.41Health: 6.46Employment: 5.94Quality of life: 7.65Total: 27.46
26. Cyprus
Happiness: 6.16Health: 6.49Employment: 8.27Quality of life: 6.45Total: 27.36
27. Greece
Happiness: 5.65Health: 7.25Employment: 8.12Quality of life: 6.26Total: 27.28
28. Bulgaria
Happiness: 5.18Health: 7.04Employment: 8.15Quality of life: 6.75Total: 27.12
29. Kazakhstan
Happiness: 6.27Health: 5.48Employment: 9.23Quality of life: 5.91Total: 26.89
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30. Canada
Happiness: 7.02Health: 5.26Employment: 6.85Quality of life: 7.73Total: 26.86
See the full ranking of all 61 countries and the methodology for this study at William-Russel.com.